Systems used today for detecting ice on wind turbine blades attempt to determine the presence of ice through different methods and transmit a detection signal to the wind turbine control system which stops the turbine at the same moment. Experience has shown that the efficiency of such systems is greatly variable and that the emitted stop signal can be issued late after the start of an icing event and, in some cases, not at all. Consequently, there is already a non-negligible accumulation of ice on the blades at the moment the wind turbine is stopped and therefore there is a risk of breaking-up and projection of ice at speeds that are sufficient enough to cause injuries or material damages, while requiring that a longer natural de-icing cycle be completed before reactivating the wind turbine. In several cases, this results in several days of waiting for favourable climate conditions that promote melting of the ice.
There is thus a need for a more reliable system and method that has the capability of anticipating the formation of ice on wind turbine blades in order to cancel completely the risks of ice projection.